We were in Tortola, BVI from August 10 - August 16, 2015. We stayed at the Cane Garden Bay Beach House. I am pretty sure it is the only residential home available for rent that is actually on the beach, so the name is fitting. You can make a reservation here: [ Ссылка ].
Cane Garden Bay (CGB) is a secluded cove on the West side of Tortola. There is a restaurant down the beach called Myetts where you can eat fresh seafood and grab some cool drinks. If you come in on a sailboat, you can get a fresh shower at Myetts for a few dollars. It appeared to us that the CGB is a hotspot for transient sailors. It offers great protection from the ocean, has several moorings, has a fuel dock, and boat ramp to trailer a boat if need be.
If you stay at CGB, during the day you can rent paddle boards or just sit around and enjoy the beach. Be aware that cruises come into Tortola and CGB is a location for some of the shore excursions (beach chairs, hobie cat rentals, paddle boards, etc.). There was one cruise that came in during our stay but there were not that many people. We did have an issue with some of the cruisers walking up onto the property and having a look around. It wasn't a big deal for us, but we had to be sure to keep an eye out for people who decided to get a little too curious. Other than that one day, the beach was empty except for a few locals and sailors.
We rented a boat out of the Nanny Cay Marina on the South side of Tortola. If you rent a boat, I would recommend Island Time. There are also scuba trips that sail out of Nanny Cay as well as charter fishing and sailing. Road Town is about a 15 minute drive over the mountain and the roads can get a little sketchy. We flew into Beef Island and rented a small car to get around. If you rent a car, be careful because people drive like crazy. However, I would recommend if you stay on Tortola for more than a few days to rent a vehicle. If you fly into Beef Island, you can rent a vehicle at the airport. Gas is expensive, but you won't drive much and everything is pretty close. The people are super friendly, too.
We only went out to eat a few times. Other than that, we bought our own food and cooked at the house. If you are going to purchase groceries, go to the Rite Way in Road Town. If you stay near Cane Garden Bay, you can go to Bobby's up the road.
When we rented the boat (Glacier Bay 26), we went up to Little Jost Van Dyke and Jost Van Dyke. At little Jost Van Dyke, we went to the Bee Line Bar. It was kind of weird as we were the only ones there, but talking to the bartender, it seemed like that place could get out of control (fun). Our main goal was to do some snorkeling around the island, but the wind was up so the water was choppy and hard to see through at some of the recommended areas. Plus the current didn't help, so we stuck to the safe cove areas.
We also went to White Bay on Jost Van Dyke. We anchored there and snorkeled and went ashore for some drinks. Apparently White Bay is pretty popular and it seems like people can get a little crazy there. There are boats everywhere. You can see a video on it here: [ Ссылка ]
Once we left White Bay, we motored South of Tortola and skirted down along St. Johns to Norman Island and then Peter Island. Before we left for Norman Island, we stopped in at Soper's Hole. Soper's Hole is a small harbor with some very nice homes built in and around the cliffs with some homes actually built into the cliffs. Soper's Hole is a beautiful stop and if you can find a place to stay there, I would recommend it.
As we went further South towards Norman and Peter Island, we started getting into the Ocean swells. You can see a map of the area here: [ Ссылка ]. Just North of Norman Island is Pelican Island, also known as the Indians. Here, there were a lot of sailboats anchored on the North side, presumably to stay clear of any ocean swell. Plus there wasn't anyone there to bother them.
If you motor/sail East of Peter Island, towards Salt Island, you will come across the wreck of the HMS Rhone. The Rhone is a famous dive location and I wanted to go, but our dive trip unfortunately didn't work out for us. Maybe next time...
Bottom Line: The Island life is contagious. I didn't want to leave.
